Food & Drink Awards 2020

www.lux-review.com Page 49 LUX 2020 Food & Drink Awards Established by two partners, Jersey Girl Brewing officially opened as a craft brewery in April 2016. Following their success in the Food & Drink Awards 2020, we touched base with Co-Owner Charles Aaron to find out more about one of the most innovative craft breweries in New Jersey. Jersey Girl Brewing Most Innovative Craft Brewery of the Year 2020 - Mount Olive, New Jersey Sep20877 With its state-of-the-art equipment, Jersey Girl Brewing are the leading experts in in craft brewing. To begin, Charles gives us a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its typical client base. “Jersey Girl Brewing was started by myself and co-owner Mike Bigger in 2014, with the doors later opening in April 2016. Brewing on a 30-barrel brewing system, one barrel is equivalent to approximately 31 gallons of beer, meaning the system can produce several hundred gallons of beer in each batch. 930 gallons to be exact. On our Tippy system, we also brew small batch experimental beer which can be served in our sampling room. Brewing up to 27 gallons per batch, this is an exclusive tap room where beers are only available while they last. “Since officially opening to the public in April 2016, Jersey Girl Brewing has grown to include distribution to all 21 counties in NJ. Currently, our beers are available in over 400 locations across the state (on premise and off premise). Additionally, the team is working in partnership with our distributor, Kohler Distribution, to have Jersey Girl Beer served at the Prudential Center, a major venue in Newark, NJ. In a little over four years of being in business, Jersey Girl Brewing has already exceeded its plans for growth and is looking to accelerate growth by adding additional capacity, additional distribution, and locally sourced ingredients to meet the growing market demands for New Jersey craft beer. Growth in the Food & Drink industry can be very exciting, but at the same time there can be many breweries competing for the same singular moments or opportunities. As a result, in an attempt to separate themselves from the rest, the business looked at the ways in which they could create opportunities with partners, as Charles reveals. “In the end, we might all look the same, so our aim was to leverage size and production capacity (13K gallons of beer per month) to open opportunities with partners and at venues that need greater supply to meet their demands. Creatively this allows our partners to count on us to meet their changing needs, plus we can target a separate segment of businesses that need a partner with production capabilities that we have at Jersey Girl Brewing.” Finally, Charles draws on his own past experiences, outlining the ways a business can be successful in the Food & Drink industry, before sharing one or two plans the firm have in place for the coming year and beyond. “These days we focus on the basics of running the business and invest a lot of time managing cash flow. During COVID in particular, we find this element allows us to continue to remain viable and re-invest as new opportunities present themselves. Additionally, by spending time together we try to uncover issues or potential issues that need to get addressed quickly so they don’t become road blocks to success. “Looking ahead, following the purchase of the canning line, we will need to add more tanks and capacity in the coming year. Recently, we have expanded into producing hard seltzers which opens up another area in the market for us to exploit.” Company: Jersey Girl Brewing Contact: Charles Aaron Web Address: www.jerseygirlbrewing.com